Another Alexis Hall delight. Fun (and funny), with the same sense of absurdity that made Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake so readable. It's not as serious as my favorite of Hall's books (For Real comes to mind), but is filled with humor (and good recipes).

Fun and sweet... tw: on page panic attack, hospitalization, G.A.D


What's both brilliant and challenging about this novel is that the protagonist has an undiagnosed -- and then eventually diagnosed -- anxiety disorder, and we're in his head the whole time, and that's a hard place to be. Alexis Hall captures so well what it's like to have your brain turning against you. So if, like me, you too have challenges with anxiety, this will all feel very familiar and real and hard.

I Haven't read the first book yet and would like too.

CW: Racism, on page panic attack, cyberbullying

Okay. It was really good. Despite it being the second in the Winner Bakes All series it felt completely different to Rosaline. Like, it had the same Bake Expectations characters, and similar structure, but also not. There was a lot more post-show than what was in Rosaline, and I really enjoyed that. I don’t think the book would have worked if it had followed exactly the same structure.

Gah, I’m having such a hard time writing this because I kind of just want to say all the things, but I also don’t want to give anything away and don’t want to stick this behind spoilers.

I think that Paris’ anxiety was really well described/explored. As someone who suffers from anxiety (though not to the extent that Paris does), I completely understood how his brain was working and what he was going through. I really appreciated his mental health journey, it felt very accurate, and I also really loved the realizations that his friends come to over the course of the book, in relation to his mental health.

I also really loved Paris’ relationship with Tariq. It was a bit different and included something I didn’t think I would like in a romance, but that really really worked in this story. I just really loved Paris and Tariq, for different reasons, and my feelings shifted a bit over the course of the book, but overall, really love them.

Very much enjoyed this and am so grateful to have gotten an early copy! I will likely come back when this is out and write a more in depth review, flailing about all the things.

This second installment of the Bake Expectations series does not disappoint! Alexis Hall is a master at writing funny, deep, and emotionally gripping books with characters that are ready to leap off of the page fully formed, and I am always blown away.

This book is a romance at heart, but it's also a deeply insightful story about how mental health affects individuals and the people they love. Paris is anxious - perpetually and all-consumingly. He doesn't really understand that the way he sees the world isn't how other people experience the world and really doesn't understand just how much it affects his own life. Tariq, our delightful out-and-proud queer Muslim man with the best sparkly nail polish, is a perfect foil for Paris. Their story together is tough and full of difficult realizations and hard truths, but ultimately, this kind of representation is so SO important, and I'm beyond delighted to see it handled with such grace and love.

So on the sentence level, this book is through-and-through Alexis Hall - witty, funny, full of joy. But the experience of the entire book is something else. There's just so much in this book that is REAL, and honestly, that's what also made it a challenging read for me. By the time Tariq finally gets that Paris' anxiety is maybe more than a normal case of jitters, we've spent about 70% of the book exclusively in Paris' head, seeing how hard it is for him to live life with his anxiety. Tariq's confusion on how to handle Paris' issues is reminiscent of so many people's reactions to dealing with their loved one's mental health issues in the real world. Which is to say, imperfectly and with good intentions.

As someone who also has anxiety and anxious tendencies, this was a challenging read. Hall's characterization is so on point and so real that I was finding myself also getting anxious while reading. I hasten to add that this is not a criticism of this book - rather, only a truly skilled author could have handled it so deftly, while also balancing the humor and light-heartedness of a charming British baking competition.

As always, I would have liked a little more time at the end of the book to see Paris and Tariq together, but that is not the Alexis Hall way. Final recommendation? A must-read, but with caution for those who have similar mental health struggles. Give yourself some breathing room, and perhaps read it in smaller chunks!

2.5 rounded down

I ended up not finishing the first book in this series, largely because I realized soon after starting it that the genre was just really not for me. I was hopeful that this second installment might be a better fit but, unfortunately, I think it's essentially more of the same, just with a male protagonist instead of a woman.

As always, Hall's writing is charming and the banter witty, though I will admit, I did sometimes find it a little exhausting. There was something almost... Gilmore Girls-y about it at times, which, I loved that show! But it was a lot, and can feel a little unrealistic. And, speaking of exhausting... I'm with most of the reviewers here, and I found it quite a lot to be in Paris's head for most of the book. As somebody with anxiety, I do appreciate the rep and felt like the author did a great job with it, but it's pretty fucking stressful to read and didn't make for a super enjoyable experience. As many have suggested, I think it might have helped if we had a dual POV here, partially to break up the anxiety, and partially because I did find myself wanting to know a bit more of what Tariq was thinking.

But I think my biggest sort of gripe here, is that I was reading this for the romance, and I just... didn't think this was a romance, nor do I really even think the characters should end up together. I'll admit this is partly skewed expectations on my part (which, to be fair, were partly influenced by the blurb & marketing of the book) but also, given the age of Rosaline in the last book, I hadn't realized when I got this one that the characters are so young--like 21ish. And given everything they're going through--fame, competition, mental health crisis--I just didn't buy that they should be together and frankly imagine them splitting up eventually, which isn't exactly the feeling I want upon finishing a romance. I did appreciate the approach of mental health here and that ultimately you are responsible for the way you treat people even if there are mitigating circumstances, but I also found myself super frustrated with Tariq's handling of the situation. Which, thankfully, *was* eventually addressed, but due to the nature of Paris's self-deprecation (even after he starts addressing his anxiety) I personally never really felt it was satisfyingly handled.

As always, there's some great and thoughtful rep here on a number of levels, and while, again, I'm not personally super interested in reading a romance book where one of the characters wants to wait until marriage to have sex, I can appreciate its existence in the world. But given the above factors, even with some of the stuff I thought was well done and important, I just didn't particularly enjoy reading this book. It wasn't a fun experience. And for me, leaving a book feeling anxious and like the two characters who got together at the end probably will be split up within the year is not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Got an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating: 3.75

Hmmm... First of all, this somehow made me laugh. Second, I love the representations. Third, there are times that it made my heart flutter when the conversation goes right with Paris and Tariq. Fourth, admitting Paris needs help is done well.

What I didn't like was that it wasn't a dual POV. Just being in Paris's mind was exhausting, and I understand that's how it really is with people who have anxiety. I had to keep putting this book off to breathe. Seeing Paris panic and have anxiety attacks was too much. A dual POV would have given the readers a breather.

This book holds a lot of potential, especially it's Alexis Hall's. But I hope, he considered how the readers will read the context of too much anxiety and panic attacks from the very first chapter to the last. It's exhausting and a horrible experience for me. So, it may be me problem.

As someone like Paris, I don't need to see what's in his head. I have a lot on mine too. 😂

"Main character with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder (that does get diagnosed), on page panic attack, hospital stay due to panic attack, treatment plan for anxiety disorder discussed, emotionally unavailable parents, very graphic swearing, cyberbullying, religious and racial microaggressions, Islamophobia (challenged)." - Alexis Hall

I truly loved every teeny tiny second of this book. I saw so much of myself in Paris and so much of my/my partner's journey into understanding mental health in Paris/Tariq's relationship. I absolutely could not put this book down and I know that it is going to be tremendously loved and well received. The unabashed way Paris's inner monologue is put out there for those of us who experience that daily to resonate with....it was beautiful!!!!!

*thank you netgalley and sourcebooks casablanca for this arc in exchange for an honest review :) *

tw: on page panic attack, hospitalization, G.A.D

this book was a lot. in a good way. but heavy nonetheless but not in a depressing oh my gosh i can’t read it kind of way. it’s more heavy in the oh my gosh this development is so real and authentic and gradual kind of way.

let me start off by saying this book actually depicts real characters that have flaws, makes mistakes and aren’t insta-lovey nor are they crazy in love and “you are the one for me”. no. this book isn’t mainly focused on their love story but instead is focused on paris and tariq….more so tariq.

you’re going to dislike them and you’re going to relate to them and you’re going to laugh with them.

the representation of generalized anxiety disorder was done in a way where it wasn’t used as a way to make the story more interesting. i like the inclusion of normalizing mental illnesses in a way where it isn’t daunting or overtly scary.

my only thing was i just wished people were nicer to paris but in reality from the outside looking in they were just acting like how people in the real world would. i cannot stress this enough—this book is so “these are real world characters and this is how people act in the real world”.

some things to note before i finish my review
1) tariq is a hustler! he knew what he wanted and he did what he had to do to get where he needed to be point blank
2) i wish we learned more about tariq
3) i wish we got to see paris’ parents

i liked this book
4/5 stars

even thought I'm an anxious person myself Paris really took it to another level!
honestly reading all of his rambling made it a bit hard to read thru but overall not a bad book

Thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I tend to gush over pretty much anything Alexis Hall has written- even his blog posts about some video game that I've no idea what he's going on about. This book has all the cleverness, heart, inclusiveness, and love that readers have come to expect with Alexis Hall, and he consistently manages to find fresh ways to express these qualities; however, because he's writing often in the genres of romance or fantasy, I don't think I ever really gave him proper credit for his ... realism?

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble comes with content warnings for generalized anxeity disorder. Readers, especially impatient ones, need to remember this about Paris, the 3rd person limited narrator. Paris Daillencourt may .... get on your nerves or exhaust you. Paris' GAD tends to manifest in compulsively intrusive thoughts of self-doubt and catastrophizing. . This GAD/OCD combination is widely considered one of the mental illnesses that most interferes with daily life. Better than any nonfiction book or podcast I've come across, Hall manages to depict what it's like to try to function with this illness. Paris, who we see and are told is a fundamentally kind and loving person, gets on his own nerves, exhausts himself, and frustrates almost everyone with whom he connects. He doesn't want to think all the thoughts he thinks, but if he doesn't think them,, then how will he prevent walking into a disaster that he may not have thought about or stop himself being an even more crap person? As bad as the thoughts make him feel, what they prevent are, in Paris' mind, infinitely worse- except they really aren't.

Although this book is also a rom-com, with the comedy cathartically placed, Paris doesn't meet and fall for a wonderful guy who heals all his insecurities. He meets and falls for a wonderful guy who gives Paris the idea that caring for his mental health might be something he should consider; however, the wonderful guy doesn't fix Paris. In fact, he eventually can't take anymore, and we as readers understand why. Something has to break; heroically, it isn't Paris' spirit. This is by no means a given though. He's so low at one point, he's on a kind of suicide watch, but Paris musters some of that bravery he has. He gets meds. He starts cognitive behavioral therapy, and he tries again. That's the message of this book that's so important. Paris treats his mental illness and doesn't want it to continue to define so much of him. It's not easy, and Paris, while better, is not "cured" by the end of the book; still, Paris' triumph isn't minimized. Through his detailed portrayal of Paris' struggles, we understand and empathize with him, and hope he gets more chances at life and love.

This book was a joy to read. As a person who also has anxiety and other mental issues this book spoke to me on such a level. I felt seen. The chemistry between the leads is wonderful and the bakers this season will make you wish this was a real show. I am just so excited to read more in this world as soon as I possibly can.

There is a lot about this that I really truly liked. I enjoyed reading it, the characters are well drawn, the side characters are as always amazing. The fact that each characters perspective is given so carefully is really great. I related a lot to Paris because I have somewhat debilitating anxiety and so I have also had these situations and conversations. I like that he didn't magically get better from Tariq's involvement and that Tariq acknowledged that he was overstepping by trying to "fix" him. And I really liked that Paris was able to see how his actions hurt Tariq and take accountability even if it wasn't his *fault* bc it was still his responsibility.
I did think even if his parents were neglectful, unloving, busy etc etc that it was somewhat unrealistic that they'd just ignore his texts entirely. Also seemed weird that the show didn't address the question of his famous parents etc. I guess my main issue with the book is that while it is a good portrayal in many ways in dealing with mental illness, it is somewhat deus ex machina that the show producer would manage to shove him into a CBT therapy thing and that the meds would work so fast etc etc. The book also probably would have been more enjoyable if we got to see more from Tariq's perspective and indeed why he does like Paris. But it was overall pretty good, and I enjoyed this next foray into the Winner Bakes All universe.

This has way too much of my own stupid anxiety in it, and I feel attacked. Being serious, though. I know I have missed the train on Hall. I still have to get around to reading Rosalie Palmer and Boyfriend Material, and his other books. I like his writing here. Not only he has a perfect command of Paris’ voice, the writing is genuinely funny and swoony.

Most rom-coms I’ve read lately are the farthest thing from comedic, and some books that were pitched to me as funny really disappointed. This is lol funny, especially during the baking show, with the judges and host and crew all standing out as complete characters that are also charismatic and quirky enough you could completely see them working on TV.

I do agree with the reviewers who say that being in Paris’ mind is a lot, though. It’s not bad representation, but it is tiring to spend so much time inside the mind of someone who struggles so much with just about every human interaction no matter how commonplace or benign. I would have loved this a lot more otherwise.

I still recommend it, especially for fans of true rom-coms. See if it's something you love. I think this one will divide people, but I also feel that, with Hall's talent and absolutely amazing pace and jokes, he'll make a lot of people fans of Paris.

I think I'm going to recommend people read this book when they asked me what my anxiety feels like just so they can get a glimpse of how exhausting it is. No wonder I'm tired all the time.

I have a lot of feelings about this book. I don't think that I loved it as much as Rosalie Palmer and from an objective perspective, this book isn't as well done, but it still means a lot to me.

As soon as I finished this book I anticipated the reviews. I knew exactly what people were going to say and it had a lot to do with our MC being exhausting and overwhelming and over the top and too much. And maybe Paris is all of that. But I think it's an important side of representation to have.

As someone who has generalized anxiety disorder and has lived with it for 20 years, it was almost too much for me to read the first half of this book. I spent the first 60 to 70% with bouts of sniffling and crying and my vision being blurry from tears but pushing forward anyway. It felt like my own brain on the page and that is terrifying. I mean truly I don't need two anxiety spirals 😅 but it also felt validating in a way. This book is not going to be for everyone and I almost wouldn't recommend it to people with anxiety because of how triggering it could be. There were a lot of moments where I felt exactly the same as Paris and all of a sudden I got worried that in real life people would react to my anxiety the way that they reacted to his and anxiety is a monster. It is a cycle that is moving so quickly that it feels actually impossible to throw yourself out of. I worry that the constant panic and anxiety representation in the first half of this book is going to trigger people with anxiety or it's going to completely put off people who don't have anxiety. I don't know if this was the best choice in writing and perhaps a dual POV would have helped break up that almost exhausting feeling you got when reading.

So even though I know the people are going to shit on this and I will come out and say that it's not as good as Rosaline Palmer, it is still a great book and one that I'm glad to have read. Is it one that I'm going to reread? Probably not for the sake of my mental health but it is one that I am grateful to have read and am excited to see reviews from other people. Also can we just get a round of applause for another cover with a rainbow cake? The queer baker in me is very happy.

A few other thoughts:. Tariq was awesome and I love that he had some own self-discovery moments at the end. I really appreciated seeing representation where sex was not on the table and it's not on the table for the entirety of the book. I love the ending. I really appreciate the discussion about therapy and how it's not okay to use mental illness as an excuse to treat people poorly. There are a lot of great conversations that happen beyond Paris's anxiety and that was great. I do wish there was more conversation about Paris's parents and I don't know how I feel about his flatmate.

Maybe I'll have more thoughts later. Who knows.

i don’t really know what to say about this book. in a way, the romance was cute, important subjects were brought up, tariq deserves the world and the setting was cute.
otherwise, paris’ anxiety made me feel weird. ive been diagnosed with anxiety and i think it’s great to see rep but this one was exhausting. and that’s exactly what anxiety is, it’s exhausting and sometimes it’s all you can think about.
but paris’ character was defined by his anxiety. i felt like he had nothing else going for him. (expect knowing how to bake ig?). it also felt like his clumsiness was present because he was anxious (as if people with anxiety HAVE to be clumsy). i also think his anxiety is not an excuse to act poorly. his character felt like a sort of cliche about people with anxiety which is dumb because everyone’s different. i still understand why people relate and i know this is still great representation for people to understand how exhausting anxiety is.

I understood the feeling the author was going for here with Paris but he was so annoying. I kept waiting for him to get better and he just got worse. Yes, I understand that’s what it’s like in real life but it was tough to read at times. Also there was about 5 too many Tigger references for me.

This is a 5 star book, but possibly a 4 star romance, and I devoured it in one sitting. Alexis Hall is one of the undisputed best writers in queer romance (technical writing ability, style, character development, making me cry onto my smartphone at 2am - all the usual marks of excellence) so I've really just sat with this feeling of sad unease I've had from this book's ending for the past day trying to make sense of my feelings, and I've come to a few conclusions:

1. The characters are fantastic, and possibly all my minor criticisms of this book come from relating to them too strongly. It would be far too easy to Flanderize Paris into becoming the punchable type of anxiety-ridden mess he apparently comes off as on TV, but he was extremely relatable on the page. Possibly too relatable, because part of the reason I felt uneasy with this book is that I really strongly felt like Tariq owed him a bigger apology (honestly, I would've loved a classic romance Grovel scene) than he got for a couple of comments made later in the book that really still have me feeling the sting. That being said, I know I'd feel the same way about Paris needing a better apology if the book was told from Tariq's perspective and I didn't have the context for what Paris was thinking. Just, more apologies, sooner, all around.

(Counterpoint to this point: I'm torn as to whether me, a fan, wanting more apologies and groveling from my romance isn't the equivalent of a toddler wanting more sugar with breakfast. Like, yes, it's a popular opinion, but I don't feel particularly urbane or sophisticated for having it...)

2. The humor couldn't be more on point. It never devolves into farce despite tending delightfully towards the absurd. The modern world's pretty absurd, none of this detracts from the realism or emotional intensity of Paris and Tariq's feelings at all, and it's rare that a romance makes me laugh out loud through my tears.

3. As a romantic fiction book, it's perfect. It's funny, it's sad, it's a bit hopeful. The outcome of the romance and attraction is realistic.
But... I don't know that I read romance for the realism? I want to close the book and feel confident that these 2 characters have found someone for the long-haul, even if they still have a few things they clearly need to work through to thoroughly realize it for themselves. I want to feel like they WILL get there. But in this book, I'm not sure they're even right for each other. I very badly want them to be, but I'm not sure how things will play out, and that's part of what contributes to the feeling of slightly sad unease I have with this book's ending.

4. I'm rating this 5 stars (even as a romance), despite slight unease noted above, because I feel this is a real First Book in a duology / trilogy type situation. For instance - I loved Boyfriend Material while still being mildly depressed by the ending: I felt it needed more apologies all around, it needed another 50 pages (note: from a technical standpoint it certainly did not, but I'm in Fan Mode here, not English Major mode), it was realistic but slightly depressing at the end, I wanted more of a Happy For Now than we got - but it got a sequel, which not only solves all those issues but turns those issues into actual positives. Similarly, KJ Charles' Slippery Creatures is my favorite Romance-with-a-Capital-R of all time, and Book 1 of that ends on an even less convincing Happy For Now. Perhaps it even ends on what could charitably be called a Content For Now. (Perhaps a, Probably Not Going to Assault You For Now). And yet - most romantic thing I've ever read, because it got there eventually, and those HEAs felt incredibly well-earned.

The thing is, I think that despite my somewhat embarrassingly romantic ideals when it comes to romantic fiction, a single modern romance book usually can't realistically end on a HEA - just a HFN. And if the book tries to force a HEA it just ends up feeling schmaltzy and unrealistic. Alexis Hall has never once, by anyone's mark, gone for schmaltzy and unrealistic. But a modern HEA (or, adjusting my non-cynical romantic expectations a smidge here, a really strong HFN) can absolutely come from a duology or trilogy of a series, and it feels so much more well-earned. Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble absolutely feels like the first book of an amazing duology.

I love the characters. I cried all night reading this (completely sober, mind you) - seeing both Paris and Tariq sort of miss each other like ships in the night really hurt. I'm here for the story, but I'll admit it may lose something in the Romance (rather than romantic fiction) department if it doesn't continue.

And yet, even if it doesn't continue, it made me feel more than any romance book I've read in months. I haven't cried with any other book this year. I bet you anything I'm going to reread it and cry the whole time the next round, too.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Talk about a sweet story. Get it? Baking puns?

A story full of banter, comical characters, delicious baking. Paris is a young college PhD candidate in London who is entered into a baking competition by his housemate. While there, he meets some colorful characters, learns a lot about himself, and creates some beautiful baked creations.

This story focused on a sweet, anxious soul named Paris, who didn’t know he had anxiety, but the readers most certainly did. For a fellow anxious, I could relate to Paris all throughout. Tariq beautifully supported Paris and grew as an individual, too.

If you like the Great British Bake-Off and Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material, you will love this book. Alexis Hall has quickly become a must read author for me.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC copy of this book. This book publishes October 18, so add it to your TBR now.

Have you read Alexis Hall’s work? Which was your favorite?

#queerromance #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #parisdaillencourtisabouttocrumble #ktreadsabook #alexishall #alexishallbooks #netgalley #lgbtqreads

This is the second book (of three) from Hall's new queer romcom series!

And she has done it again!
I enjoyed every damn minute of this sequel!
Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall was completely and delightfully one of the greatest I've had the pleasure of reading here lately.

It was fabulous and fun, and overall a completely delightfully engrossing m/m romp.
The story was fun and also this book was really funny!
I found myself laughing and grinning multiple times though the book.
The characters are both flawed, delicate, strong, funny and so relatable, and possess all the great characteristics that make the reader fall so in love with them from get-go.
Her stellar writing and plotting, she's cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me.
I was utterly charmed by this story.
I can't wait for her book two Something Fabulous series.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Forever,
Thank you for your generosity and gifting a copy of this approved eARC!

thank you netgalley (and Alexis Hall +team) yet again for this wonderful opportunity.
I loved Rosaline Palmer takes the cake so much (despite being a shit baker) that i had to come back.
And I'm honestly glad i did, at first? i kind of liked paris for like 13% of the book then i just didn't? At all? Side characters kind of stole the whole show but then at like the 85% mark i started liking him again because, he's a mess (like me) and just needed to recognize that he needs some help, also he has shit parents (still like me) so he's bound to be a little messed up
was kind of thrown off by tariq but his arguments made sense to me honestly, so sending him (and his entire family, because they're sweet hearts, all the kisses)
AND MORAG (affectionate)